What WordPress Maintenance Actually Costs

The $4/month host is the bait. Plugins, a 'care plan,' and the Friday the site goes down are the bill. Here's a honest stack-up against leaving.

Quick answer

WordPress maintenance typically costs hosting + premium plugins + a care plan or your time for updates, plus occasional emergency cleanups. A one-time WordPressEscape Mini migration is $199 (≤100 pages) and deletes the CMS. Optional Watch is $29/mo. For most small sites that's cheaper than another year of plugins plus panic.

Price your escape from a scan

Scan your URL free — 60 seconds, no login. SEO, Performance, Responsive grades, then a done-for-you escape if you want it.

Scan my site free →

The line items nobody adds up

Host, SSL (usually free now), page builder license, SEO plugin, cache plugin, backup plugin, security plugin, the developer who 'just takes a look,' and the week you were down. That's WordPress maintenance cost.

Versus a static site

HTML on Cloudflare is cheap. No plugin renewals. Updates are content, not core. Stewardship is optional if you still want us to rebuild on a schedule.

Our prices (live Stripe)

Mini $199. Self-serve $599. SEO Upgrade from $99. ESC'dashboard $189 once. Watch from $29/mo. See pricing and hosting cost.

Scan = exact tier

Page count picks the migration price. No sales call.

Price your escape from a scan

Scan your URL free — 60 seconds, no login. SEO, Performance, Responsive grades, then a done-for-you escape if you want it.

Scan my site free →

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to maintain WordPress?

Often $20–$200+/mo once plugins and a human are included — more when something breaks. That's before lost traffic from a slow or hacked site.

Is migrating cheaper than a care plan?

For a small site, a $199 Mini plus optional $29 Watch is usually cheaper than a year of premium plugins and retainers.

Are there monthly fees after WordPressEscape?

No required monthly for the migration itself. Watch, Stewardship, and ESC'd Team/Pro are optional.

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